A molding apparatus of a wet friction material has a pair of guide posts vertically extending on a molding apparatus main body. The pair of the guide posts passes through fifteen stages (sixteen pieces) of molding dies. A pair of pantograph-type open-close mechanisms is attached to opposite side surfaces of the molding dies. Thus, the molding dies are piled up on each other so as to come near to each other (mold clamping) and move apart from each other (mold opening). With the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism, all the molding dies are opened and closed at the same time. If the molding dies are slid at a speed of 200 mm/sec, it takes only 3.75 seconds (50 mm*15/200 mm=3.75 sec). It takes a double of that time or 7.5 seconds, that is a half of the time of a related art.
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1. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material for sticking one of a ring-shaped friction material substrate or a plurality of segment pieces cut out of a friction material substrate on one or both surfaces of a core metal of a flat ring shape, comprising:
at least three molding dies vertically piled up on each other so as to move up and down to each other, a lowermost one of the molding dies including an upper surface provided with a mounting surface for mounting a half-product of the wet friction material, a middle one of the molding dies including the lower surface provided with the mounting surface and an upper surface provided with a pressing surface for pressing an entire surface of the half-product of the wet friction material mounted on the mounting surface of an underside molding die, an uppermost one of the molding dies including the lower surface provided with the lower surface provided with the pressing surface, the half-product having the ring-shaped friction material substrate or the plurality of segment pieces stuck on one or both surfaces coated with a thermosetting adhesive of the core metal;
heating mechanisms provided on the molding dies, respectively, for heating the mounting surface and/or the pressing surface; and
a pantograph-type open-close link mechanism provided on side surfaces of the molding dies so as to move up and down the molding dies near to each other and apart from each other all at once in a synchronous manner, the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism being composed of a plural pairs of crossed link bars corresponding to a number of stages of the molding dies, each pair of the crossed link bars being rotatably joined with each other at a center of the cross linked bars, the pairs of the crossed link bars having ends rotatably coupled with each other to form the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism, and each pair of the crossed link bars having a pair of protrusions formed at opposite ends of the cross linked bars;
each of the molding dies comprising a pair of horizontally oblong openings on opposite side surfaces of the molding die at locations corresponding to the protrusions of each pair of the crossed link bars of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism, the pair of the protrusions of each pair of the crossed link bars being fitted in the pair of the openings, respectively, to slide along a length of the openings, thereby permitting extension and contraction of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism for moving up and down the molding dies all at once in the synchronous manner;
at least one of the uppermost molding die and the lowermost molding die being provided with a pair of dents constituting the openings, each of the dents having substantially an oval outline with a horizontally oblong shape and a closed lower side; and
the protrusions of the crossed link bars corresponding to the dents of the molding die are fitted in the dents of the molding die, respectively, in a manner preventing the protrusions from moving out of the dents of the molding die.
2. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
3. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
4. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
5. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
the pantograph-type open-close link mechanisms is provided on each of opposite sides of the molding dies, so that the molding apparatus includes a pair of pantograph-type open-close link mechanisms;
the guide post is provided on each of the opposite sides of the molding dies so that the molding apparatus includes a pair of guide posts, and
the slide guide is provided on each of the opposite sides of the molding dies so that the molding apparatus includes a pair of slide guides.
6. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
7. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
a slide guide fixed between an upper position and a lower position of the molding apparatus and extending in a vertical direction, the slide guide being erected at a lateral center of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism and facing centers of the crossed link bars, and the slide guide having substantially a square cross-section and defining a guide bar; and
a plurality of sliders fixed on the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism at predetermined ones of the centers of the crossed link bars, each of the sliders being fitted to the slide guide to slide vertically along the slide guide so that a vertical movement of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism is guided by engagement of the sliders and the slide guide.
8. A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a molding apparatus for a wet friction material that is manufactured by sequential steps including as a rate-determining step, i.e. a molding step or a heat press step of friction material segments on a core plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of commonly used wet friction materials for an automatic transmission has a ring-shaped friction material substrate, which is cut out of a friction material substrate, joined on one or both of opposite surfaces of a core metal of a flat ring shape with an adhesive. Another has a plurality of segment pieces or friction material segments joined on one or both surfaces of the core metal with an adhesive. For example, there is provided a segment-type wet friction material as shown in
As shown in
In view of the above problems, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3643018 discloses an invention of a manufacturing method of a wet friction material. The manufacturing method does not carry out the alternate steps of the punching-out of the friction material segment (segment piece) from a strip of the friction material substrate and the sticking of the punched segment piece on the core plate (core metal). Instead, the manufacturing method includes a storing step for storing a plurality of segment pieces in a circumferential manner on one surface of a holder and a sticking step for moving the one surface of the holder to a sticking surface of the core metal with an adhesive coated thereon so as to urge and stick the segment pieces held on the holder to the sticking surface of the core metal.
In case of the manufacturing process composed of the alternate steps of punching out of the segment piece and the sticking of the segment piece on the core metal, there arises a problem such as deterioration of positioning accuracy of the segment pieces due to the property change of the adhesive that is caused by taking much time for the sticking work. However, the manufacturing method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3643018 solves such problem. Moreover, it completes the sticking work of the segment pieces in a very short amount of time. As a result, the rate-determining step in the manufacturing process of the segment-type friction material becomes a heat press step (molding step) after sticking the plurality of the segment pieces on the entire circumference of the core metal.
An outline of the molding step is described referring to
Then, the upper die 40A is lowered by a not-shown hydraulic cylinder. Alternatively, the lower die 40B may be lifted by a not-shown hydraulic cylinder. As shown in
In the manufacturing process of the above-mentioned segment-type wet friction material 50, it is necessary to decrease a manufacturing time per one friction material as short as possible for reducing costs. For such purpose, it is very important to raise a manufacturing efficiency in the molding step that requires a fixed time period (30 seconds to 90 seconds) in order to heat and set or harden the thermosetting adhesive. Therefore, a multi-stage molding die with vertically built-up molding dies is proposed in order to carry out a thickness setting by pressing and a hardening by heating of many segment-type friction materials at one time. That is, the thermosetting adhesive is coated on each of the core metals 51 and each of corresponding groups of the segment pieces 52 is stuck to each surface of the core metal 51 so as to prepare half-finished products. Then, the half-finished products are pressed and heated at on time by the multistage molding die.
Specific examples of multistage molding dies are illustrated, as a related art, that have a structure as shown in
As shown in
The second specific example of a multistage molding die is shown in
As mentioned above, a plurality of segment-type wet friction materials 50 are processed at one time such that all the thermosetting adhesives are set or hardened so as to fixedly stick all the segment pieces on all the core metals. Thus, the multistage molding die improves the manufacturing efficiency of the molding step that requires a fixed time period (30 seconds to 90 seconds) in order to heat and set the thermosetting adhesive.
However, a weight per unit or a weight of each of the molding dies 56, 61 is about 40 kg to 70 kg. A hydraulic cylinder as the pull-up mechanism and the pressing mechanism is usually operated at a speed of 50 mm/s to 100 mm/s. An operation at a higher speed causes a noise (80 dB or more) due to an impact at the time of mold clamping. It also causes a displacement of the segment-type wet friction material 50 due to vibration at the time of mold clamping. Therefore, such speeding up is impossible. Moreover, an increase of a number of the molding dies 56, 61 or stages of the multistage molding die 55, 60 also has a limitation inherently in view of its maintainability and workability. As a result, there is still a problem that the molding step remains a rate-determining step.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a molding apparatus of a wet friction material that solves a problem of an impact noise or vibration displacement of a segment-type wet friction material, while making more than double a working speed in a molding step as a rate-determining step of a manufacturing process of a wet friction material so as to shorten a manufacturing time to a large degree.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a molding apparatus of a wet friction material for sticking one of a ring-shaped friction material substrate or a plurality of segment pieces cut out of a friction material substrate on one or both surfaces of a core metal of a flat ring shape. In the molding apparatus, at least three molding dies are vertically piled up on each other so as to move up and down to each other. A lowermost one of the molding dies includes an upper surface provided with a mounting surface for mounting a half-product of the wet friction material. A middle one (one or more in number) of the molding dies includes the lower surface provided with the mounting surface and an upper surface provided with a pressing surface for pressing an entire surface of the half-product of the wet friction material mounted on the mounting surface of an underside molding die. An uppermost one of the molding dies includes the lower surface provided with the lower surface provided with the pressing surface. The half-product having the ring-shaped friction material substrate or the plurality of segment pieces stuck on one or both surfaces coated with a thermosetting adhesive of the core metal. Heating mechanisms are provided on the molding dies, respectively, for heating the mounting surface and/or the pressing surface. At least one pantograph-type open-close link mechanism is provided on side surfaces of the molding dies so as to move up and down the molding dies near to each other and apart from each other all at once in a synchronous manner.
Thus, the molding apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is able to increase a working speed in a molding step as a rate-determining step of a manufacturing process of a wet friction material more than twice of a working speed of a conventional apparatus, thereby shortening a manufacturing time very much.
Specifically, the inventive molding apparatus of the wet friction material has the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism that has a function totally different from that of an open-close mechanism (link mechanism) of a multistage molding die according to the related art. Thus, each of the molding dies does not slides sequentially or one by one but all the molding dies slide at a time in a synchronous manner. Consequently, even if a sliding speed of each of the molding die is slower than a moving speed in the related art, it takes much less time required for completing open/close action of all the molding dies.
For example, suppose that the molding dies are provided in fifteen stages and a distance between an upper surface (mounting surface side) and a lower surface (pressing surface side) is 50 mm when each of the molding dies is opened. Then, in case of the apparatus in the related art, it takes 0.5 second for closing one stage of the molding die when sliding the molding dies at a rate of 100 mm/sec one by one. Therefore, it takes 7.5 seconds to close all the molding dies (0.5 sec*15 (stages)=7.5 sec). Thus, it takes 15 seconds as a double of that time period for completing the opening and closing action. In contrast, with the pantograph-type open-close ling mechanism according to the invention, all the molding dies are opened and closed at the same time in a synchronous manner. Consequently, when synchronously sliding all the molding dies at a speed of 200 mm/sec, it takes only 3.75 seconds to close all the molding dies (50 mm*15/299 mm=3.75 sec). It takes 7.5 seconds as a double of that time period for completing the opening and closing action. That is, the time period is decreased to a half of the related art.
Moreover, the time period for sliding each stage is 13.3 mm/sec (200 m/sec/15=13.3 mm/sec). Thus, it is sufficient to move the molding dies at a sliding speed much lower than that of the related art. Consequently, there is not any possibility to cause a problem such as a noise due to an impact at the time of clamping or a displacement of a segment-type wet friction material due to vibration. Furthermore, it is possible to heighten the sliding speed of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism more than 200 mm/sec.
Thus, the molding apparatus of the wet friction material solves a problem of an impact noise or vibration displacement of a segment-type wet friction material, while making more than double a working speed in a molding step as a rate-determining step of a manufacturing process of a wet friction material so as to shorten a manufacturing time to a large degree.
A molding apparatus of a wet friction material may further comprise at least one guide post vertically passing through a part except the mounting surface of the molding dies so as to guide a vertical sliding movement of the molding dies.
Thereby, the molding dies slide up and down along the guide post, so that the opening and closing action of the molding dies are performed more smoothly.
A molding apparatus of a wet friction material may further comprise at least one slide guide vertically extending corresponding to the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism so as to guide a vertical sliding movement of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism.
Thereby, an operation of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism becomes smoother, so that the molding dies are surely opened and closed in a short amount of time.
In a more preferable molding apparatus of a wet friction material, the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism is composed of a plurality number of pairs of crossed link bars corresponding to a number of stages of the molding dies, each pair of the crossed link bars having a pair of projections formed on opposite ends thereof. Each of the molding dies has a pair of horizontally oblong openings formed on opposite side surfaces thereof at locations corresponding to the protrusions of each pair of the crossed link bars of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism. The pair of the protrusions of each pair of the crossed link bars is fitted in the pair of the openings, respectively, so as to slide along the length of the openings so that the protrusions of the crossed link bars slide horizontally in the openings of the molding dies thereby permitting extension and contraction of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism for moving up and down the molding dies all at once in the synchronous manner.
In a more preferred molding apparatus of a wet friction material, the openings of the uppermost and lowermost molding dies have a horizontally oblong shape with a lower side closed and the openings of the middle molding die have an oblong shape with a lower side opened downward.
In a more preferred molding apparatus of a wet friction material, a horizontal length of the opening of the molding die is set such that the protrusions of the crossed link bars come at an inner end of the opening at the time of opening the molding dies, while coming at an outer end of the opening at the time of clamping the molding dies.
In a more preferred molding apparatus of a wet friction material, a pair of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanisms is provided on opposite sides of the molding dies, respectively. Each of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism is composed of a plurality number of pairs of crossed link bars corresponding to a number of stages of the molding dies. Each pair of the crossed link bars has two pairs of opposite ends coupled to side surfaces of adjacent two of the molding dies. A pair of guide posts vertically passes through opposite locations except the mounting surface of the molding dies so as to guide a vertical sliding movement of the molding dies. A pair of slide guides vertically extends corresponding to center joints of the crossed link bars of the pair of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanisms so as to guide a vertical sliding movement of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanisms, respectively.
In a more preferred molding apparatus of a wet friction material, the pair of the guide posts and the pair of the slide guides are aligned along a lateral center axis connecting the center joints of the pair of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanisms.
A molding apparatus of a wet friction material according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereunder referring to
As shown in the side view of
A pair of pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 is attached to right and left side surfaces of the molding dies 4 and 5. The pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 is composed of a fixed number of crossed link bars 6a. Each of the crossed link bars 6a is made of two link bars 6a as a revolute pair so as to be crossed and joined rotatably at the center with each other. Fifteen pairs of the crossed link bars 6a are provided corresponding to the number of the stages of the molding dies 4 and 5. The fifteen pairs of the crossed link bars 6a have their ends coupled rotatably with each other so as to form the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6. Thus, the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 expands and contracts according to an external force applied thereto in the same manner as a common pantograph mechanism. That is, in an expanding action, all the pairs of the crossed link bars 6a gradually change or increase their cross angle at a same rate so as to enlarge their height uniformly and open at a same speed. On the other hand, in a contracting action, all the pairs of the crossed link bars 6a gradually change or decrease their cross angle at a same rate so as to lessen their height uniformly and close at a same speed.
Each pair of the crossed link bars 6a has their opposite ends (four ends in total) fitted in the end supports 4X, 5X of the vertically adjacent molding dies 4, 5 so as to move or slide horizontally along the side surfaces of the end supports. That is, each pair of the crossed link bars 6a has two upper ends fitted in an upper one of the adjacent molding dies 4, 5 in a horizontally slidable manner, while having two lower ends movably fitted in a lower one in a horizontally slidable manner. Thus, each pair of the crossed link bars 6a connect or couple the adjacent two molding dies 4, 5, while supporting the molding dies 4, 5 in a vertical direction. In other words, the molding dies 4 and 5 are piled or built up on each other via the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6. Thereby, when the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 is expanded and contracted by an actuator, the molding dies 4 and 5 moves up and down accordingly. That is, the molding dies 4 and 5 vertically move apart from each other for mold opening when the link mechanism 6 is expanded (see
Referring to
As shown in
Next, the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 is described more in detail together with its opening and closing operation referring to
As shown in
The operation of the link mechanism 6 is described more in detail referring to
As described above, the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism is extended and contracted to lift up and down the molding dies 4 and 5. A driving force for the operation is given by a not-shown hydraulic cylinder, which is operatively coupled to the link mechanism. The hydraulic cylinder may be coupled directly to the link mechanism 6 or indirectly thereto via the aforementioned shafts shown in
In contrast, all the molding dies 4 and 5 are opened and closed at the same time in a synchronous manner by the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 in the present embodiment. Consequently, when synchronously sliding all the molding dies 4 and 5 at a speed of 200 mm/sec, it takes only 3.75 seconds to close all the molding dies 4 and 5 (50 mm*15/299 mm=3.75 sec). It takes 7.5 seconds as a double of that time period for completing the opening and closing action. That is, the time period is decreased to a half of the related art. Moreover, the time period for sliding each stage is 13.3 mm/sec (200 m/sec/15=13.3 mm/sec). Thus, it is sufficient to move the molding dies 4 and 5 at a sliding speed much lower than that of the related art. Consequently, there is not any possibility to cause a problem such as a noise due to an impact at the time of clamping or a displacement of a segment-type wet friction material 50 due to vibration. Furthermore, it is possible to heighten the sliding speed of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 more than 200 mm/sec.
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
Moreover, as shown in
As described above, the molding apparatus 1 of the wet friction material according to the present embodiment solves the problem of the impact noise or vibration displacement of the segment-type wet friction material 50, while making more than double the working speed in the molding step as the rate-determining step of the manufacturing process of the wet friction material so as to shorten the manufacturing time to a large degree.
Specifically, if the sliding rate of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 is set at 200 mm/sec, the working speed becomes twice as high as the related art in the molding step. As a result, the overall production time for all the manufacturing steps for the wet friction material 50 is lessened to three fourth of the related art. The sliding rate of 200 mm/sec means a sliding speed of 13.3 mm/sec per one stage of the molding die as mentioned above, that is about seven times less than the sliding speed (100 m/sec) of each stage of the molding dies in the related art. In other words, since the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 enables the synchronous movement of all the molding dies 4 and 5, the sliding speed can be lessened very much, while increasing the working speed.
In the molding apparatus 1 of the wet friction material according to the present embodiment, the sliding rate of the pantograph-type open-close link mechanism 6 is set at 200 mm/sec. However, the sliding speed is not limited thereto and may be changed according to a weight of the molding dies 4 and 5 and so on. The sliding speed may be set higher or lower than 200 mm/sec.
The invention is not limited to the present embodiment in constructions, components, assembling parts, shapes, materials, sizes, numbers, connecting relations and so on of the other parts of the molding apparatus of the wet friction material.
The preferred embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated in the appended claims and all variations which come within the meaning of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Mizuno, Masayuki, Tomita, Wataru
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
2966183, | |||
4892665, | Dec 05 1983 | Method and press for pressing liquid from thin layers of liquid containing masses | |
JP3643018, |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
May 29 2007 | Aisin Kako Kabushiki Kaisha | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Jun 04 2007 | MIZUNO, MASAYUKI | Aisin Kako Kabushiki Kaisha | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 020755 | /0052 | |
Jun 04 2007 | TOMITA, WATARU | Aisin Kako Kabushiki Kaisha | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 020755 | /0052 |
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